Yakult to open first U.S. factory

Yakult U.S.A. Inc., Torrance,
Calif., will build its first U.S. factory in Fountain Valley, Calif.,
with operations set to begin in 2012.

The subsidiary of Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd., Tokyo, will produce 250,000 bottles of the
probiotic Yakult drink in the new 387,000-square-foot facility. The factory
will be capable of producing up to 760,000 bottles a day and will serve mainly California, Arizona, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico, the company
said.

The company will continue to import the beverage from its Guadalajara, Mexico, facility until the new
factory opens.

“We are looking forward to the completion of the Yakult California
factory since it will allow us to provide our product to more and more people
across the country,” said Teruo Tabuchi, executive vice president and chief
operating officer, in a statement. “In the heart of Orange
County, Fountain
Valley is ideal because it is in close proximity to Los Angeles, which is our
biggest market now.”

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